Mistletoe
by ILoveHarryPotterForever
Summary: "People always said Draco Malfoy was an awful man, but Hermione Granger knew better. She had seen something in him in small glimpses, when it was just the two of them, and usually around Christmas time." Hope this helps everyone get into the holiday spirit. Happy Christmas everyone!


People always said Draco Malfoy was an awful man, but Hermione Granger knew better. She had seen something in him in small glimpses, when it was just the two of them, and usually around Christmas time. These small moments between Draco and Hermione intrigued and confused them both, but gave one hope and the other a reason to believe.

 **First Year**

Hermione trailed her hand slowly across the banister, walking very slowly around the courtyard as the snow fell in gentle caresses on her face and hair. She could feel the cold flakes on her eyelashes and smiled at the feeling.

Hogwarts was beautiful at Christmas; Hermione could feel the magic in the air even more acutely than before. She would be sad to leave this place the next day. Hermione was going home for Christmas, to see her parents. This was the longest she had ever been separated from them, and she missed them dearly… but she also longed to spend her holiday at Hogwarts, where she could taste the magic when she breathed.

"Maybe next year," she mused to herself quietly. Hermione had one last quick walk around the courtyard before turning to head back towards the Gryffindor Common Room. There was about an hour until curfew, and even after three months in the castle Hermione still occasionally found herself getting lost in the old corridors.

As Hermione turned the corridor that would lead her to the staircase, she bumped to a halt as she smacked into a person – a blond headed boy, to be exact.

"Oops!" she exclaimed, rubbing her head where it had hit his forehead. The two were about the same height. "I'm sorry, I was walking rather quickly."

Draco Malfoy cleared his throat loudly. "It's fine, Granger," he said, moving to take a step back. His eyebrows furrowed when he realized he could not move back; he was stuck pressed against Hermione Granger!

"What is going on?" Hermione asked, a hint of panic in her voice as she realized their predicament.

"How should I know?" Draco snapped back, frustrated as he continued to try to move but to no avail. "We seem to be stuck," he said, his voice confused. "I can't move my feet."

Hermione's eyes suddenly went wide as she understood what was happening. Draco watched as her eyes quickly glanced towards the ceiling before a deep blush spread over her cheeks.

"Oh no," she moaned, covering her face with her hands.

Draco turned his head up to see what she had noticed, and felt his cheeks warm a bit. Above their heads was mistletoe. "It's enchanted," he said, explaining to her the facts without thinking. "We won't be able to move until we kiss."

"I know," Hermione mumbled through her hands. She had covered her entire face with her small hands, but Draco could see her ears were a bright red and felt his face turn red in return.

"Erm, well," Draco said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's best to get it over with. It's almost curfew."

Hermione moaned, but took her hands away from her face slowly. The two eleven year olds stared at each other awkwardly, and then looked away. There were a few minutes of silence as both tried to think of a way to get around it. Finally, Draco, pink in the face, gave a loud huff and leaned in, placing a small kiss on her lips.

Both parties immediately pulled away and blushed deeper before stepping away. Hermione's hands went back to her face, covering her warm cheeks, her eyes intent on the ground.

"Right then," Draco said, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his robes. He cleared his throat again. "Have a Happy Christmas."

Hermione squeaked out a quiet goodbye before hurrying around Draco and back towards Gryffindor Tower.

Suddenly home was exactly where she wanted to be.

 **Second Year**

Draco Malfoy had been pacing this corridor for the past half hour. It was early – far too early in the morning for any other students or the faculty to be awake, but Draco had been unable to sleep.

Draco's father had always told him that his life was defined in moments. There are only a handful of moments that control your destiny, and your choices in those few moments define you.

"But what happens when you make a mistake and say something you don't mean?" Draco muttered to himself. Would this mistake define him?

The young boy was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice a bushy-haired girl, who so happened to be the main focus of his worries, come around the corner. Hermione was so entranced with her book that she did not even notice him pacing there, and within a few steps the two of them had collided together and Hermione's book was dropped to the floor.

Draco started as they bumped into one another and when he noticed who it was he turned a dark shade of red and tried to take a step back – only to find himself stuck!

"Erm… Granger," he greeted gruffly, avoiding eye contact as he continued to make attempts to back away from her.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, not even attempting to back away from him. Her eyes sparked with anger. "Oh, you've remembered my name have you? You couldn't seem to remember it yesterday."

Draco winced and looked down at his feet. His mouth was suddenly bone dry and he found himself incapable of saying anything at all.

Hermione huffed, but found she had no words herself. He was a hopeless case, and wasn't worth her breath. She went to reach for her book but found that she couldn't move her feet. Her eyebrows came together for a moment before her mouth dropped open in outrage and she turned her head towards the ceiling.

"You've got to be kidding me," she moaned, her small hands bundled into fists.

Draco chanced a quick glance up and saw what she was upset about – there was a large piece of mistletoe suspended in the air above their heads. He looked at her face for a moment, and smirked a bit when he saw her angrily glaring at the floor, but after he remembered why she was so angry he sobered.

Draco cleared his throat and Hermione lifted her glare a bit to face him. Draco looked away immediately. After a moment or berating himself, he summoned his courage and turned to look into her eyes.

"Listen, Granger… about what happened… me calling you a… Mudblood yesterday-"

Hermione interrupted him with a loud huff of anger, but Draco could see the small collection of tears in the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry," he finally spit out. He ran his hands over his face. He groaned in frustration, even though he felt relief the relief at those words. "I didn't want to hurt you, I wasn't thinking. You have to understand… we have had very different childhoods… I just… I'm sorry."

Hermione had been staring at him wide eyed at this small confession, all her previous anger gone. As he finished he turned his head down to once again stare at his feet. Hermione acted on impulse and leaned forward – they were still about the same height, perhaps he was a half inch taller – and kissed him very softly.

When she pulled back she hurried to pick up her book and escape down the corridor, her face a brilliant shade of pink.

Draco watched her leave with his eyes wide and cheeks blushed a light pink. He was surprised at the pain that left his chest after that encounter, the weight on his shoulders lifted. He took a moment to close his eyes and lean his head against the marble wall, suddenly exhausted and elated.

Draco's father was right: the choices you make in these moments will define you. But it wasn't the mistake yesterday that Draco was going to let define him.

It was this moment today.

 **Third Year**

This year had been a tough year; Hermione was exhausted. She had spent the last few months having near double the schoolwork that her fellow students had thanks to the time-turner the Ministry had allowed her to use. She had an extra few classes every day that she would skip back in time to attend, and keeping up with this schedule was wearing her thin.

Now it was two days before Christmas and Hermione was sleeping on top of her books at the back table in the library. She had several piles of books stacked around her person, but her bushy head was resting peacefully on a copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

At seven o'clock exactly, Hermione jolted awake as her wand vibrated on the table next to her. She had set the alarm earlier so she wouldn't miss curfew and she was glad she had.

After taking a moment to rub her eyes, Hermione began packing her books away. She still had several more hours of studying to do in her four-poster bed that night, and she briefly wondered if she could sleep through her classes tomorrow and use her time-turner to go back and attend them, but knew it was too risky and Professor McGonagall would take the time-turner away if she found out Hermione was abusing it's power.

By the time she had all the books away and her bag packed, it was quarter after and Hermione began her ascent to the Gryffindor Common Room. It was almost Christmas, and the lights and holly hanging down every corridor enchanted Hermione. She could still taste the magic like her first year at Hogwarts, but she had yet to find the time to properly enjoy it.

As Hermione walked through the entrance by the Great Hall, the doors opened and let the cold air inside. Hermione shivered, closing her eyes and bracing herself against the freezing temperature.

"You alright there, Granger?"

Hermione opened her eyes and saw Draco Malfoy standing in front of her. She started as she realized how close he was – his nose was almost touching the tip of hers as he scrutinized her.

His nose wrinkled a bit as he squinted at her. "You don't look good."

She snorted a bit and shook her head. "Thanks, Malfoy. Happy Christmas to you too."

"That's not what I meant," Draco said, shaking his head a bit as he frowned. "You look sick. Have you been eating?"

Hermione bristled a bit and tried to take a step back. She sighed when she couldn't and immediately looked up. "Why does this always happen to us?" she asked him, pointing at the mistletoe above their heads.

Draco didn't even bother looking up. "Don't change the subject, Granger," he said sternly. "When was the last time you ate a decent meal?"

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "I have been eating."

Truthfully, she couldn't remember the last time she had properly eaten anything. She had mostly eaten toast and muffins the past few weeks, sometimes not eating at all because she hadn't been hungry. She had read that regularly time-traveling messed with your system, but she didn't realize it was affecting her.

Draco crossed his arms and stared at her for a moment. Finally, he said: "Well I'm starving. I missed dinner as well. Let's go down to the Kitchens."

Hermione huffed, trying again to take a step back because she had forgotten she was stuck. "I don't have time, Malfoy. I've still got more homework to do. I'd like to be done before Christmas and I don't have time for games."

"It's not a game, Granger," Draco quipped, his voice a little more firm now. "You need to eat – you look terrible. Besides," he continued, a smirk now planted on his face. "You're stuck here with me until we kiss, and I won't kiss you until you agree to go to the kitchens and eat dinner with me."

Hermione's eyes narrowed into slits. "You're blackmailing me?"

Her voice was as lethal as a razor, but it didn't seem to bother Draco at all. His smirk grew. "No. I wouldn't do that to you. This is extortion."

At that Hermione almost let out a small smile. After a few moments, she heaved a great sigh. "Fine. Lead the way, master."

Draco placed his hands on either side of her face and gave her lips a quick kiss before starting his walk over to the stairs. "Feel free to bow anytime."

Hermione blinked slowly, her cheeks turned a light pink. After a moment she turned to follow him, hurrying a bit to catch up. "Feel free to hold your breath for it."

 **Fourth Year**

Draco had grown up attending fancy parties, each of them more boring than the last. His father always disappeared with his friends into the cigar room, his mother always gossiped with her friends, and he was always stuck hanging out with the kids he didn't like. The Yule Ball at Hogwarts was no different.

Except that his parents weren't in attendance. The only part that was truly the same was that Draco was once again stuck with the kids he didn't like. He had asked Pansy Parkinson to the dance because it was expected of him, and he sat at a table with Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott because it was expected of him. But it wasn't attached to any of them and spent the entire night staring at someone else.

Hermione Granger had come to the ball with Viktor Krum. Krum was someone who Draco had admired for his career and talent, but after tonight he couldn't find it in himself to think anything but vile thoughts about the man. What did Hermione see in him?

Draco was snapped out of his thinking when Pansy said something to him. He didn't hear what he said, but he nodded his head and responded with a quick agreement before clearing his throat. "I'm going to take a quick walk outside. I need some air."

"I'll come with you," Pansy chimed, quickly standing up.

Draco put a gentle hand on her shoulder. He knew what she wanted, and he was not willing to give it to her. "No! I need some space for a minute to clear my head. I'll be back in a minute."

Pansy looked disappointed, but she didn't argue, instead turning to pout to the girl next to her. Draco rolled his eyes as he walked away.

The air was crisp and cool outside, but Draco found he didn't mind. It was getting unbearably stuffy in the Great Hall. He walked along the path for several minutes undisturbed. Everyone was too busy inside dancing, the only students who came outside did it for a snog, and though Draco heard a few couples at it in the bushes he didn't see anyone.

Once again, Draco found his thoughts drifting to Hermione. He had found himself thinking of her quite often recently. His memories of getting caught under the mistletoe were some of his favorite memories at Hogwarts. Hermione had an easy kindness about her, not like his fellow Slytherins. His "friends" were not friendly or easy going like she was. Everything between them in Slytherin was cryptic and competitive. His conversations with Hermione weren't like that; she was far too genuine and nice.

Draco had wandered almost to the Black Lake when he noticed how cold he was; his entire body was shaking. He quickly turned about and walked briskly to the castle, wishing more than anything that he could go to bed.

 _Well almost more than anything,_ he decided when he saw Hermione up ahead. If there was one thing he wanted more than for this night to be over it was to talk with Hermione.

She was walking alone, and Draco quickly formulated a route that would meet with hers. It only took a few moments before he was before her, and she looked more beautiful in the moonlight than she had inside.

She started a bit when she bumped into him. "Oh! Hi Malfoy," she said, her cheeks pink from the cold. She wasn't wearing a coat and Draco noticed the goose bumps on her arms. He quickly removed his cloak and placed it around her.

Hermione looked at him, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Draco shrugged, looking away from her face in embarrassment as he realized what he had done. Hermione was dangerous for him; she made him do things without thinking. Kindness wasn't something he did well or easily, but it seemed effortless when he was with her.

"Erm… are you having a nice night?" she asked, her voice unsure. He could understand why; other than their few instances under the mistletoe and those few hours they spent in the Kitchens chatting last year, they hadn't had much positive interaction. Draco knew what was expected of him, and when everyone was around that was the behavior he resorted to.

When it was just the two of them, however, he could allow himself to enjoy her company without fear of the repercussions.

Draco thought for a moment, wondering if he should lie. "No," he finally answered. He didn't want to lie to her. "It's quite awful, truthfully."

Hermione's hand came up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear as the wind blew. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "I was having a wonderful time, but Ronald may have just ruined it for me as well."

Draco nodded his head, suddenly very distracted by her hair. How had she gotten it to fall so gracefully when it was usually such a mess? "You know, Granger," he said after a pause. "Maybe you should get new friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "You're one to talk."

Draco gave her that. Her friends were terrible, but his were equally as bad. Well, maybe not equally as bad. Potter and Weasley excelled at being awful, but his friends were a close second.

A silence fell between them and after a minute Hermione cleared her throat. "I should get back to Viktor," she said, reaching to take his cloak off. She handed it back to him and he wrapped it around himself, even though he didn't feel cold anymore.

She made to step away from him and found herself stuck. Her eyes widened and she huffed as she looked up.

"How does this always happen to us?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion and amazement. "I've never been stuck under mistletoe with anyone else but with you every year."

Draco never looked away from her, found himself smiling as he watched her brain trying to solve the mystery. He quickly found himself leaning in towards her, and before he properly knew what he was doing he was kissing her.

This kiss wasn't like the kisses before. The past years had been quick and embarrassed. This kiss had a spark behind it, and Draco knew he wasn't the only one who felt it.

It was several moments before the two remembered where they were and pulled away. Hermione was blushed deep red and Draco's cheeks were tinted pink.

He cleared his throat. "Happy Christmas, Granger."

Hermione bit her lip, locking eyes with him uncertainly. "Happy Christmas, Malfoy."

 **Fifth Year**

"Everyone's out and safely back," Harry said, folding up the map and placing it back in the pocket of his robes.

"Last one before holiday, mate," Ron said, slapping Harry on the back. "When we come back we'll be out of practice."

"We could always practice in here ourselves," Hermione interjected. "Nothing formal, just the three of us."

Harry nodded. "Definitely. Until we go back to Grimmauld Place. Although, I suppose we could practice there as well."

Ron grinned at him, but Hermione immediately shot him down. "No, Harry. You've already gotten in trouble for that. I don't want the ministry to have anything to use against you." She saw the looks on their faces. She knew they got annoyed when she forced them to follow the rules, but she didn't want to see them hurt. She tried to assure them, "A break will be good for us."

Ron and Harry shared a look and a shrug, but Harry silently agreed with her. The ministry was bent on catching him breaking the rules. The best thing to do was to keep his head down.

"Ready to head back?" Ron asked, walking towards the door to the Room of Requirement. "It's almost dinner – I'm starved."

Harry walked over to join him, but Hermione followed more slowly. "I'm not very hungry. I'm actually going to head over to-"

"The Library," Harry and Ron finished for her, giving her a grin when she blushed a bit.

"We'll see you in the Common Room later," Harry said, giving her a wave as they hurried off.

Hermione turned the other way and slowly headed towards the Library. Dumbledore's Army was brilliant, and she was glad that she and Ron had convinced Harry to do it, but it cut into her study time and she was falling behind her schedule.

She tugged her bag further up her shoulder, pressed down by the weight of it. She had many things to cover tonight and not much time to waste as curfew was in a few hours. She picked up her pace as she thought of all the work she had to do, and rounded the corner right into Draco Malfoy.

"Why is it always you?" Draco asked, after taking a moment to collect himself.

Hermione huffed at him and fixed her bag again. "Get lost, Malfoy."

Draco's smirk dropped. "Well I would, but we are once again stuck together."

Hermione's eyebrows came together before she realized she couldn't move and glared at the offending cluster of mistletoe above her. "You've got to be kidding me."

"This is a yearly tradition, Granger," Draco shrugged. "It was bound to happen eventually."

Hermione groaned and tried again to step away from him. Her face turned red as she continued, refusing to give up. "This year I refuse," she said. "I've had enough of this stupid plant controlling me."

Draco's eyebrows went up. "What's wrong with you?"

"You know what's wrong with me!" Hermione exploded, her finger immediately coming up to point in his face. "You've been getting quite chummy with Umbridge, haven't you? Excuse me if I refuse to kiss a traitor."

Draco's face fell blank at that, his emotions carefully hidden. "I can't be a traitor if I was never on a side, Granger."

Hermione stopped fighting to get away and crossed her arms angrily. She knew it was wrong to be mad at him, but there was something she had felt last year at the Yule Ball when they had kissed. She knew there was something between them, but since then he had distanced and gone a different direction. Voldemort was back, and they were on different sides. She had been good about putting distance between them all year, but she never would have dreamed that this would happen again.

"I thought you were better than this, Draco," she said quietly, eyes glued to the strap on her bag. It was the first time she had addressed him by his proper name, and she knew when he shuffled a bit that he noticed.

"Don't make assumptions about me, Granger," he said, putting emphasis on her last name as he said it. "I'll only disappoint you."

Hermione looked up at him sadly. He didn't look away from her, but his eyes were cold and void of emotion. He wasn't usually like this with her; these moments between them had always been packed with quick hearts and out of place emotions.

"You don't have to do this with me," she said, her voice softer now. "You don't have to pretend. It's just me."

Draco stared at her for another few moments. "That's exactly why I'm pretending."

The young couple stared at each other for several minutes, one trying to read the other and one trying to hide away. Finally, Draco took a deep breath and looked down at her shoes.

"You deserve better, Granger," he whispered. When he looked back up at her she could see that he was broken.

Her hands came up and wrapped around his neck and she pulled him gently down to her as she went up on her tiptoes to reach him. He had grown quite tall the past summer and was now a full head taller than her.

The kiss was brief, but filled with several emotions; sadness, nervousness, anger, and joy. Hermione lingered for a moment after the kiss, the tip of her nose against his, her eyes closed.

"So do you, Draco," she whispered, placing a special emphasis on his name just as he had hers.

With that, she hiked her bag further up her shoulder and continued to the library.

 **Sixth Year**

Draco had been standing outside of Slughorn's party all night. It wasn't that he wanted to go inside, but he needed to find a way to slip something in for Slughorn to give to Dumbledore. His ideas were farfetched, but Draco found himself getting sick anytime he thought too long on the subject of killing his Headmaster, so he preferred to try the first idea that came to his mind.

No, Draco was not interested in attending the party. Had Slughorn been here a year ago, Draco would be in there. His father and mother were full of connections and money, but since his father was in Azkaban his family was in a state of disgrace and he didn't expect an invite. Besides that, he had more pressing matters.

Just as he was about to slip inside the party, finally gathering the courage and the proper moment where he might go undetected, he saw a bushy head of hair escape through the door on the other end of the hallway. Curiosity burned inside him and he froze for a moment too long – his chance was gone, but he a different, much more interesting chance before him.

Following Granger was easy; he didn't even bother to walk quietly. She was distracted by something and was muttering quite loudly to herself. She unlocked and entered a nearby classroom, leaving the door open behind her. Draco followed and stood in the doorway.

"Why did I go to this stupid party?" she groaned to herself, sitting down and placing her head on a desk.

Draco took a moment to acknowledge how pretty she looked; she was wearing a festive red dress that looked smashing with her crazy, brown curls. She wasn't wearing makeup, but Draco was surprised to see it suited her well. She had nice skin.

"Having a nice night then, Granger?"

Hermione jumped about a foot, letting out a small squeak. When she realized who it was, she calmed, shaking her head at him. "Don't scare me like that, Draco."

Draco almost smiled at that, and was surprised. He couldn't remember the last time he had voluntarily smiled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, turning in her chair to face him. Her voice wasn't accusing, only curious. Somehow, despite the awful way he treated her when she was with her friends, Hermione continued to see the good in him, he wasn't sure how. It was precisely for this reason that Draco wanted to hide all the bad things from her. Her hope and innocence was a constant motivator for him. "I was just enjoying watching you and McClaggan."

Hermione groaned at that comment and it made Draco smile. "He's exhausting," Hermione told him. "He's so inappropriate and annoying. I feel so mean for saying that, but it is the truth."

Draco fully grinned at her now. "I don't know why you would ever agree to go with him."

"Don't even ask," Hermione said, rubbing a tired hand over her face. She glanced over at him now and her eyebrows furrowed. "How are you doing?"

Draco was startled by her question and stood up straight in response. "I'm fine," he answered curtly, hoping she would leave it at that.

Of course she didn't. Hermione stood up and walked over close to him, her eyes scrutinizing him closely. He didn't pull away. "You don't look fine," she decided when she was standing directly in front of him. He had continued to grow and she had stayed barely grown an inch; she was now face level with his chest and had to look up to see his face. "Have you been eating?"

Draco rolled his eyes a bit and sighed. "This conversation sounds a lot like the one we had in Third Year," he said.

"Don't change the subject," Hermione said, but smiled at his comment. Her eyes remained full of pity. "You haven't been eating – I've been watching you."

"You've been watching me?" Draco said, raising one eyebrow. "Have you been stalking me?"

"You need to take care of yourself, Draco," she continued, ignoring his comment. "Want to grab something to eat in the Kitchens? I'd feel better if I saw you eat something."

Draco grinned some more and rolled his eyes. "How the tables have turned!" he exclaimed. "But something is different – you can't make me do anything because I'm not stuck here."

Hermione smirked and silently pointed above their heads. Draco looked up and his mouth dropped. "You should really be used to this by now," Hermione said, grinning at him cheekily.

Draco pulled a face at her.

"I believe this is called extortion?" Hermione finished. "I can't remember who taught me that, but I'll have to thank them."

Draco laughed at that, his first laugh in perhaps a year. He felt some of the tension leave him. "Fine, Granger, you win. You can kiss me now."

It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Maybe I'll leave you to suffer a few more minutes, you cheeky bugger!"

Draco shook his head at her. "You could drive a man crazy, Granger."

"Gee, thanks," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Her smile remained, however, and Draco felt himself smile back at her. The two stared at each other for a few moments, enjoying the other's company.

Finally, Draco broke the silence. "Thanks, Granger," he said, reaching out to squeeze her hand gently. "For caring enough to do something. Not many people are like that."

Hermione's eyes softened. "I think you need some new friends."

Draco smiled. "I agree."

Hermione reached her arms up and pulled Draco into a tight hug, placing her head on his shoulder and holding him very close to her. Draco stiffened for a moment, but when he responded he was quick to crush her against him. He held her like his life depended on it, and it melted Hermione's heart to think of how few hugs this man received and how much he needed it.

She held him until his arms loosened, but he only let go of her far enough that he could place a quick, chaste kiss on her forehead and then another on her lips. Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach and had to hold herself back from kissing him again.

"Let's get you some food," she said, still holding him close, his face a breadth away from hers, their eyes locked together.

Draco swallowed and looked away, releasing her but reaching out to lace their fingers together. Hermione looked down at their hands and smiled, surprised to discover how much she liked the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers.

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing for her to exit the room before him. She smiled as he shut the door behind them.

 **Two Years Later**

It had been half a year since the war officially ended and Hermione was just getting into the routine of being back at school. She had come back for her Seventh Year at Hogwarts, alone. Harry and Ron had forgone school and entered the Auror Academy. She was glad for them, but missed them dearly.

She was surprised how few from her grade had come back, even though it was offered to everyone. There was one individual who she was quite surprised to see had returned; though, when she thought of the reasoning it made sense.

Draco Malfoy had returned to finish out his schooling. His family had fallen into a place of disgrace after the War; his father in Azkaban, his mother on House Arrest. Draco got off easy because he was young and he hadn't personally killed or seriously hurt anyone. It also helped that Hermione, Harry, and Ron all personally vouched for him, as well as his family. Though his parents got worse, it wasn't as bad as they would have gotten originally.

Hermione had watched Draco over the past few months, always from a distance. He was the only one in the school who didn't fawn over her or act overly kind to her. She was a war heroine and best friend of Harry Potter, and she knew that was the only reason many of them talked to her. Her fellow students were never nice to her before the war.

Draco was getting the opposite treatment. The students at Hogwarts, and the Professors as well, were untrusting towards him and treated him rudely most of the time. He took it well; he never got angry or upset. She also noticed he was never smiling or happy, and it reminded her of Sixth Year when he tried to shut out the world. She had been able to get him to talk then and she wanted to now as well. But she was a coward and could never find the courage to talk to him.

Christmas was fast approaching as the school year flew by, and Hermione spent more time than ever before in the Library. In past years, she had Ron and Harry to keep up with, but she now spent her time avoiding company and studying alone.

Hermione sighed quietly and placed her head in her hand as she continued to write. She had slept so little in the last month that she wasn't sure how her body was still functioning. Madame Pomfrey had given her Dreamless Sleep potion, but it hadn't helped. Her memories and thoughts had plagued her more than the potion could help, and she eventually gave up trying.

It was almost curfew, and Hermione stood quickly to put her books back. She had a later curfew than the younger years, as she had a personal common room and wouldn't bother anyone. Since everyone was in bed, the walk back to her common room was long and quiet.

She heard a quiet rustle in one of the corridors and snapped her wand out, holding it out in front of her as she walked towards the sound. She calmed immediately when she saw Draco Malfoy sitting in the window seat, staring blankly at the wand she was shining brightly in his face.

"Sorry," she muttered, lowering her wand so as not to blind him. "I can't seem to get past the thought that everyone is out to get me," she tried to joke, but Draco didn't laugh.

Hermione swallowed loudly. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but suddenly all of them had left her head. Several moments of silence passed.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your family," Hermione finally said. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, but it was a start. "Harry, Ron and I tried to help, but there was only so much we could do."

Draco nodded, turning his head to look back out the window. There was an open book in his lap, but it didn't look as though he had really been reading it. "I know." He said. "Thank you."

Hermione cleared her throat. This was her moment; it was just the two of them alone. Some of her favorite memories happened when she was alone with him. "I suppose I'll leave you be," she said, kicking herself for her cowardice. "I'm heading back for curfew."

He didn't acknowledge her words and she felt her heart drop. It was obvious he did not want to talk to her. She went to step away and started when her feet didn't move like she had told them too. Because of the war, her first instinct was to panic.

"What is-" she cut herself off, remembering where and when she was. The war was over, she was at Hogwarts; she was safe.

Remembering where she was jogged a memory of past Christmas' at Hogwarts with this same man. She looked up and froze when she saw the mistletoe hanging above their heads. Her jaw dropped and she felt her lips curl into a smile.

"This is unbelievable," she muttered, her smile growing into a laugh. She looked at Draco to gauge his reaction and was surprised to see him smiling.

"Hey," she said, her smile now directed towards him. "I haven't seen you smile in a very long time."

Draco's eyebrows came together a bit. "I haven't smiled in a very long time."

Hermione grinned at him. "Well, I'm glad to see it," she said, meaning it. "I've been so lonely since I got here, it's nice to have something familiar."

Draco's eyes widened at that. "I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me."

Her smile dropped at those words, and she tilted her head as she watched him carefully. "No, that's not true," she started, not sure how much to say. "I've wanted to talk to you since the war ended, but I figured you had a lot to deal with, and I wasn't sure how you felt about… well, everything. And you never talked to me either, so I thought you wanted space."

The surprise was evident in Draco's eyes, and he stared at her for almost a full minute before he reached his hand out and gently rubbed his knuckles against her cheek.

Hermione blushed as he touched her, but found her head leaning in to his hand. Her eyes closed without her telling them too, and she took a moment to enjoy the feel of his skin against hers.

When she felt Draco press his lips against hers she almost jumped out of her skin, but her body responded before her brain could process what was happening. Kissing Draco was routine, it was easy, it was right.

The kiss was short and slow, but it washed away all of Hermione's insecurities and fears. Draco placed his forehead against hers and she could feel how ragged his breath was, she could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest.

She opened her eyes slowly and sent him a smile, which he returned. "Happy Christmas, Draco."

Draco leaned in and placed another kiss on her lips. "Happy Christmas, Hermione."

 **Ten Years Later**

People always said Draco Malfoy was an awful man, but Hermione Malfoy knew better. She had seen something in him in small glimpses, when it was just the two of them, and usually around Christmas time. Now she watched him play with their children and she knew she had been right all along. Draco Malfoy was exactly what she needed; he was the man who apologized when he hurt her, the man who took care of her when she forgot to take care of herself, the man who gave up his cloak so she could be warm, and now he was the man who was a terrific father to their four children and a doting and wonderful husband.

Everyone always said Draco was lucky to have Hermione as his wife, but anyone who truly knew Draco knew that it was Hermione who was the lucky one. She had given him hope, but he had given her a reason to believe in change and in love.

As Hermione watched her family she knew that was the best gift she had ever received.


End file.
